Powdered jelly doughnuts are a Jersey weekend tradition, the kind of treat people buy by the dozen and finish before they get home. Some of the best come from small shops that fry their doughnuts fresh, dust them in sugar, and fill them until they nearly burst.
This list rounds up seven New Jersey bakeries where the jelly doughnut is the star, from Montclair to the Long Beach Island shore. If you want a doughnut worth the box it comes in, save this one and pick your next stop.
1. Montclair Bread Company, Montclair, NJ
Set inside garage-like digs on Label Street, Montclair Bread Company built its name on house-baked breads and doughnuts that people line up for. The bakery leans into scratch baking, and the doughnut case is where a lot of regulars end up.
The powdered jelly doughnut is the one to beat here, dusted heavy and filled generously. The menu also runs through cafe fare like the Tres Leches, a Classic Croissant, and an Horchata Sourdough, plus Cold Brew and coffee drinks to go with it…